Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Joaquin Phoenix, the twice Oscar-nominated star of Gladiator and the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, has announced his decision to retire from acting to pursue a career in music.

Phoenix said this to a presenter for US celebrity TV show Extra at a benefit for a Paul Newman-backed charity in San Francisco last night. Phoenix had been on stage performing with Hollywood glitterati such as Julia Roberts, Jack Nicholson, Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Warren Beatty, Danny DeVito and Sean Penn in a one-off production of Ernest Hemingway's The World of Nick Adams.

"I want to take this opportunity ... also to give you the exclusive and just talk a little bit about the fact that this will be my last performance as an actor," Phoenix told the shocked reporter. "I'm not doing films any more." The actor's representative later confirmed the news.

I want an Xbox and an HD TV for Christmas. No, not for playing games - for watching HD streaming movies from Netflix. Well, I heard that they're making TVs that will be able to stream on demand via an internet connection and have an interactive component (via Tru2way), so maybe I don't need the Xbox. Hmmmmm, although, I think I would like to play some games too.... so, yeah, go ahead and throw the Xbox in there.

The Netflix hits just keep on comin’. We’ve known for a while that the movie rental company was going to make its streaming service available to Xbox 360 users. But what we didn’t know is that it was going to offer movies in HD. Hot diggety, the battle for your TV just got wayyyy more exciting.

Gadget sites Gizmodo and Engadget got a preview of the can’t-come-soon-enough (it’s being released on Nov. 19) update of the Xbox Live service, the “New Xbox Experience.” Part of the upgrade includes the Netflix capability, which appears to work similarly to the Roku’s Netflix player in terms of design and functionality.

But as Engadget discovered, the NetfliXbox has the Roku beat (and the other Netflix streaming partners, LG and Samsung Blu-Ray players) by offering high definition streaming. Unfortunately there aren’t any further details at this time (does it incorporate Microsoft’s Silverlight like Netflix on the Mac?). We’ll just have to wait until Nov. 19, when its released.

This could be a game-changer in a couple of ways. It helps accelerate Netflix into a leadership position among those offering digital movie and TV delivery as the combination of HD plus an all-you-can eat movie subscription is an offer that’s hard to refuse. And having a streaming video solution could finally give Microsoft something it’s been salivating over forever — getting a stronger foothold in your living room beyond just gamers.

Despite all this coolness, the Netflix service still has one huge hurdle to overcome, and that’s content. Even though it’s signing new deals, the library of content still has a long way to go before it becomes compelling.

Atlanta is not only home to Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, but it's also home to a large concentration of animation houses. One of those is Studio 70/30, which has become a staple on Adult Swim with its shows Frisky Dingo and Sealab:2021. Now 70/30 is back with The Xtacles a spin off of Frisky Dingoand you can watch a preview up above. The show premieres on Adult Swim November 9th.

Additionally, the organizers want to keep Fringe affordable for everyone. Tickets are cheap. But if you are able, become a "Friend of Fringe" by donating online at FringeAtlanta.org or by paying more than the minimum for your ticket via TicketAlternative.com.

Friday, October 24, 2008

This weekend the Atlanta Indo-American Film Festival starts. It's going to be 5 weekends of films from India and the Indian Diaspora. It's getting cold outside and if you're looking for a good place to escape to to get warm, think about hitting the festival one of these weekends. Some of the films that have us in the office intrigued are Sita Sings the Blues and Lions of Punjab. And if you missed The Wold Unseen at the 2008 Atlanta Film Festival here's your chance to catch it again.Full ScheduleThe third annual Atlanta Indo-American Film Festivalwill take place in Atlanta from October 25th through November 22nd , 2008. Presented by the Indo-American Film Society, the festival will be a fascinating five-weekend long journey into independent Indian cinema. The Atlanta Indo-American Film Festival will feature screenings of new independent films and select mainstream films, discussions with film makers, parties, and a gala. Screenings will include both feature length and short films from India and the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Diaspora, in Narrative and Documentary styles, from a variety of established and upcoming directors. A panel of expert judges will review the top films and announce winners in various categories. Films will be screened at distinguished locations in Atlanta: High Museum of Art, Emory University, Kennesaw State University, Georgia State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology (GA Tech).

I was at Atlantic Station to see a movie a few weeks ago and when I looked up I saw two giant banners tucked in the corner. One was for Body of Lies and the other was for Pride & Glory.

And there in all their 4 foot giant head awesomeness was Edward Norton and Leonardo Dicaprio, their faces adorned with hair. Their furrowed brows indicating that their characters were wrestling with complex moral and ethical issues. Read: Serious. Read: Important. Read: Pretentious.

Can't you just hear the interview in your head? "See it's a metaphor. Half my face is hidden. We live in the shadows and a beard is a metaphorical half-shadow. A metaphorical half-shadow that's located where words come out. Words out of shadows. Is it truth coming out of the shadows or lies?"

I'm not sure if you've seen the trailer for either film, but I think they're just godawful in the way they don't communicate anything about the plot or story in either film. Body of Lies is the most egregious, with its quick cuts. And Pride's is just plain insulting with the hip hop soundtrack that's supposed to indicate that it's gritty. Hear that penetrating bass, this is hard hitting drama at its best. To reinforce how much the trailers are trying to hide, is the dismal 50% score for Body and the 31% score for Pride on Rottentomatoes.

So let this be a warning to you, if you see either Ed or Leo donning facial hair, be forewarned. There's serious acting and probably poor script choice ahead. Which is never a good combination.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Back in the 90s, when independent film exploded and well regarded classics and obscure cult films could be found in small hole in the wall stores, tucked in the oddest places, I caught up on a lot of flicks. From Hong Kong action flicks starring Jackie Chan and directed by John Woo, to French New Wave Cinema, I saw hundreds of films that the average American had never heard of.

One, that quite a few people probably already were aware of was Micheal Moore's Roger & Me. Maybe if I had rented it and watch it with my boys, who like me enjoyed the hunt for something different, I might have finished the film.

To this day, I just can't finish a Michael Moore film. I find him smug. His conclusions, derived from very few facts, annoy the hell out of me. And the fact that he sounds exactly like the folks he's denouncing, only proves to me how a like conservatives and liberals are. To be fair, the only Moore film I haven't given a chance is Bowling for Columbine.

For me, the best political films have always been like a Rorschach test. Liberal or conservative, you watch the film and fundamentally you agree with all the basic tenets in the film (freedom of the press, serving your country is patriotic and noble, etc.). However, once you start comparing that film to the world at large, it's where you find the antecedents that reflect what you believe.

It's that ability for a film to outlive the politics of its time to be applicable to any time period, any situation, that makes a film about politics great and intriguing.

This is probably why a film like A Man for All Seasons, after 40 years and set 600 years ago, is still such a powerful film. Thomas More standing against King Henry VII as the later rejects the Catholic church to meet his own needs could easily be Kennedy standing against his own Military during the Cuban Missile crisis. With all the conservatives backing Obama because of McCain's choice of running mate and how they've perceived his campaign, conservative intellectuals could easily be More and McCain could be King Henry VII. Even Hillary supporters who haven't come on board for Obama could be seen as been very More like. And yes Obama would be the King Henry in that sitch.

Everything I've seen of W. and read, says that the film isn't a blunt cinematic clubbing of our current President. Yet everything I've read also says that the film isn't all that insightful either. It sounds like that in 50 years, no one is going to be using W. as a Roscarch test to gage the political temperature of a room. Which is a shame. I may be a soft gooey liberal inside my heart, but my brain enjoys being challenged by ideas and concepts from all political spectrums.

While I'd like to avoid films like Michael Moore's, even though I probably agree with 90% of his conclusions, I'm even less likely to enjoy a film that seems to arouse no passions in me at all. So no, I guess I won't be seeing Oliver Stone's new flick. Too bad. The Angry Black Man in me hasn't been fed in a while and he's hungry for a good film.

Since I've become an active member of the Atlanta Film Community, I've gotten to know a lot of folks and become friends with them. Over the last few years, I can pretty safely say that if I go to any event or organization, there's a chance there's going to be at least one friendly face that can help ease me into the crowd. But, that took attending a lot of separate events and running around over a few years.

(Okay, this blog is already starting out a little more dry than I'd like. Which it isn't. Really. Look at the people laughing in photo number 2. See. Not dry. Down below that. Local filmmaker and proud new father Pat Clark is giving us the thumbs up. NOT DRY!)

For people who are new to Atlanta, new to filmmaking, for arts professionals who are consistently working and for those who are just patrons of the arts, running to multiple events every month doesn't make sense. (And in Atlanta traffic, is probably bucking for a stress related heartattack) And there are times when you want to network with little emphasis on the work. Then are the folks who sometimes wonder if an event is even for them.

Why not have one place where you can meet and hang with folks? Why not have one event that attempts to encompass all that Atlanta has to offer, but do it in a more social environment that's open to everyone and anyone.

That's the philosophy behind Avant Garden. Not simply to have an event that has some educational component, but to create an event that can bring together a critical mass of organizations and people. To create something that's interactive and not just a passive experience. To have an event that allows people to just come out and have a few casual drinks with other like minded individuals. And to have FUN. Huge emphasis on fun.

To those ends, I can say Avant Garden I this past Thursday was a success.

People got to drink--$2 PBR, nuff said--and mingle. Our Improv teacher Josh Warren brought some of his acting buddies and folks who drifted in the classroom got to do some improv with them. There was our blog confessional that allowed people to unburden a cinematic sin or two. And curator Stuart Horodner of The Contemporary, our partners in this new venture, was able to give gallery tours of The Contemporary's space. (If you haven't, come out and see their current exhibition which is part of Atlanta Celebrate's Photography and see 35 years of Contemporary history)

We're already gearing up for the Avant Garden II on November 20 and we're hoping to see you there. If not then, then for the next one. And if not that one, then the next one after that. And if not that one...

Check out this latest article available online in Access Atlanta as local filmmaker, Phoebe Brown, is spotlighted as a dual winner for her STILL photography? Most know her as a moving picture gal, but apparently she is now being recognized for her still photography as well. It also tells of her latest documentary project with Coca Cola that premiered in Beijing this Summer with other local co-filmmaker, Micah Stansell (who also had a short this year in our festival called A Convolution Of Imagined Histories).

Eventhough the article is primarily about recent kudos regarding her still photography, it's also mentions her latest short, 99 To 1, which has had a successful festival circuit run this year, playing not only at our own Atlanta Film Festival back in April, but also at the Ashville Film Festival, The Big Muddy Film Festival, Reel Women Film Festival, Rome International Film Festival, Rocky Mountain Women's Film Festival, and the San Diego Women's Film Festival, to name a few.

If you missed seeing it locally at either the Atlanta Film Festival or the Rome International Film Festival, you have one more chance as there is a screening of local shorts through GSU, called EXPOSURE 2008, so you can still see Phoebe's short as well as Micah Stansell's short (mentioned above) and many other locally-produced shorts, AND IT'S FREE! Check out http://dael.gsu.edu:16080/exposure/ for more info on this two-night screening event.

Oh, and check out Phoebe's photography at the local Mason Murer Gallery starting on Nov. 14th!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

EXPOSURE 2008, a screening that will take place at The Rialto next week, will spotlight a selection of projects by Georgia State University's Department Of Communication alumni, faculty, and students. The student films are finalists selected by faculty and student peers for their annual STUDENT ACADEMY AWARD.

You may recognize alot of these films, as these creative works have screened in international and national festivals, on national television broadcasts, and in museums and galleries, including the Atlanta Film Festival this year, so if you missed them, you have another chance to see them. AND THE SCREENING IS FREE!

These films represent various genres, approaches, and subjects so there is something for everyone, so come out one or both of these nights to see what has been deemed the best of the best at Georgia State this year! For more info about these screenings, go to http://dael.gsu.edu/exposure

Tonight is WIFTA's 34th Anniversary Gala and among the honorees is Baily Barash, and we're beyond ecstatic. This past April her film The Aids Chronicles -Here to Represent played the 2008 festival. And in 2006, she was a finalist for the Southeastern Media Award also with The Aids Chronicles.

For those who don't know, Aids has become a devestating disease in the African American community. What Baily does with the film isn't so much to focus on the devestation but to highlight the people in the Atlanta community who are dealing with this epidemic. At times funny and sad, it's an illumaniting piece about Atlanta and folks touched by Aids.

As with Rapid i Movement and all the other things we do here, we're always excited to do what we can to not only support the films that played here, but also to highlight what Atlanta filmmakers are doing. Baily has made the film available for educational use and if you want to purchase a copy be sure to visit http://www.bbarash.com/bb_newrelease.htm (You know, you can always find out about donating a copy to your local school or church).

If you see Baily at the Gala tonight, be sure to stop and congratulate her.

Spend too many hours on Facebook already? Well, now you can spend even more, watching VOD movies. Starting today, October 16th, Facebook, with the assistance of Kyte Channel, is launching its own digital platform allowing users to watch video on demand. The film kicking the whole thing off is ONE TRACK MIND, from Chris Malloy and Woodshed Films. The Facebook article is pasted below.

ONE TRACK MIND WORLD PREMIERE ON FACEBOOK.COM, OCTOBER 16th, 2008Mon 10:21pmVENTURA, Calif. (October 10, 2008) - One Track Mind, the newest film from Chris Malloy and Woodshed Films will premiere on Facebook, the world's largest online social network, for 48 hours straight starting on Thursday, October 16, 2008. The film will be broadcast on Facebook through Kyte, the universal digital media platform that enables brands and communities to easily produce live and on-demand digital content. Chris and crew are celebrating the release by inviting fans to participate in a live chat on the facebook.com/film, which will begin at 5:30 pm Pacific time on October 16th. World champions Kelly Slater and Tom Curren and other featured surfers from the film such as super grom Kalohoe Andino, along with Brushfire Records recording artist Matt Costa, will join Chris in discussing the film from Patagonia's headquarters in Ventura, CA before the film airs.

Patagonia, the environmental clothing manufacturer and Etnies, the action-sports footwear and apparel company, will co-sponsor the premiere. Also Surfing Magazine and Wetsand.com are promotional sponsors. People that want to watch are encouraged to RSVP on Facebook.com/film in advance. To view the film, just type in www.facebook.com/film, then click on the One Track Mind Kyte player--that's it. Anyone can view the film at facebook.com/film and share it with their friends. Signing up for a Facebook account is easy and only takes a couple minutes.

"We are excited to be entering into the modern era of premiering a film with Facebook," says Emmett Malloy, co-producer of the film, "We hope the enthusiasm of going to a surf premiere will carry into everyone's homes as they watch One Track Mind - and in the process, everyone will pick up a few new 'friends' for their own Facebook page."

Patagonia will also host a premiere of One Track Mind on its campus in Ventura, CA on October 16, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. The public is invited and encouraged to attend. Chris Malloy will introduce the film to the crowd. Matt Costa will play a few songs acoustically after the film plays to a live audience.

One Track Mind, directed by Chris Malloy, is the latest surf movie from Woodshed Films, a.k.a. The Moonshine Conspiracy. Shot on location in Mexico, Indonesia, Micronesia, Australia and Southern California, One Track Mind explores the mindset behind what it takes to be one of the best surfers in the world. The cast includes today's best up-and-comers, including Jordy Smith, Kolohoe Andino and Julian Wilson, state-of-the-art talents like Mick Fanning, Dane Reynolds and Joel Parkinson, as well as veterans Kelly Slater, Sunny Garcia, Mark Occhilupo, Wayne Bartholomew and Tom Curren.

As the first film to ever debut on Facebook, the movie will stream live in its entirety for 48 hours through the One Track Mind Kyte player. The multimedia chat feature within the Kyte player allows fans to chat live while watching the film. Check out how One Track Mind is using Facebook's free marketing tools - Photos, Video, Events, Notes, Posted Items, FBML, Platform applications, and more-to promote the new film One Track Mind.

About Woodshed Films:Woodshed Films, aka The Moonshine Conspiracy, was founded by Chris Malloy in 1998. Woodshed is a co-op of talented artists, directors and producers, who seek to make films that capture an experience and inspire people. Members include Chris Malloy, Emmett Malloy, Tim Lynch, Thomas Campbell and Jack Johnson.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

So...in today's Hollywood Reporter, we learn that Don Cheadle will be replacing Crash co-star Terrence Howard in the sequel to Iron Man.

"Don Cheadle is stepping in to replace Terrence Howard in "Iron Man 2," Marvel Studios' sequel to its summer blockbuster.

In the movie, Howard played Jim Rhodes, Tony Stark/Iron Man's best friend and future armor-clad hero War Machine. One scene featured Howard looking at a silver suit of armor and saying "Next time," a line that caused great delight for fans.

But there will be no next time for Howard.

Marvel had no comment, but sources close to the deal said negotiations with Howard fell through over financial differences, among other reasons. Marvel, which had wanted to work with Cheadle, then decided to take the role in another direction and approached the actor, who is shooting Antoine Fuqua's "Brooklyn's Finest" with Richard Gere and Ethan Hawke.

Rhodes is expected to play a larger part in the sequel, which is rumored to go beyond high-tech villains. Justin Theroux is writing the screenplay."

Why wouldn't Marvel play ball with Howard?

In the end, it's character actor (Cheadle) vs. leading man (Howard)...and apparently it boiled down to character actor money vs. a leading man payday.

This reminds me of Tank's transformation into Link in the sequels to the Matrix films in a dispute that appears to have been over salary...

Congratulations to MAVIN Productions for winning Special Achievement in Storytelling, a Special Jury Award, at Indie Memphis Film Festival this past weekend. Their short, DONE IN ONE, was a production done as part of Atlanta Film Festival's speed filmmaking contest, Rapid I Movement. The short is a fine piece of work that lasts slightly over six minutes and is all done in onetake.